In 2017, the Global Phonics & Literacy Research Centre (GPLRC) founder spearheaded an ambitious cross-cultural educational arts project in Beijing, integrating synthetic phonics-based literacy development with large-scale student performance training. In partnership with Scottish Opera (SO) and Beijing Fangcaodi International School, the production of The Warriors (The Emperor’s Incredible Army)—a musical-theatre adaptation inspired by China’s Terracotta Army—brought together over 600 students, educators, and creative professionals.

The project was designed as an immersive English-language literacy experience, where reading, comprehension, pronunciation, and expressive language learning were embedded in the creative process of rehearsing and staging a professional-level musical performance.

Educational & Artistic Objectives

1. Enhance Student Literacy Skills
   • Improve English reading fluency, phonemic awareness, vocabulary acquisition, and pronunciation accuracy using a synthetic phonics framework.
   • Build student confidence in oral communication and expressive reading through drama and singing.
2. Train Teachers in Arts-Integrated Literacy Instruction
   • Equip local teachers with strategies to merge phonics instruction with performing arts, encouraging multisensory and contextual learning.
3. Deliver a Professional-Standard Stage Production
   • Provide students with the opportunity to participate in a large-scale musical, developing performance discipline, teamwork, and stagecraft.
4. Promote Cross-Cultural Collaboration
   • Foster cultural exchange between Scottish performing arts educators and Chinese students, enriching learning through international perspectives.

GPLRC’s Professional Role & Expertise

1. Project Leadership & Organisation

• Designed the full educational and artistic framework, aligning literacy objectives with rehearsal schedules.
• Coordinated between Scottish Opera’s creative team, Fangcaodi’s faculty, and GPLRC’s literacy trainers.
• Oversaw logistics including scheduling, space allocation, resource procurement, and performance management.

2. Curriculum Integration

• Developed special rehearsal scripts and lyric study guides incorporating synthetic phonics principles.
• Designed literacy exercises connected to the script, enabling students to decode complex vocabulary and grasp meaning through context.

3. Teacher Training Component

• Conducted targeted workshops for Fangcaodi English teachers on phonics-based pronunciation coaching and performance-led reading instruction.
• Demonstrated how to use rhythm, rhyme, and movement to reinforce phoneme-grapheme correspondence.

4. Student Performance Development

• Guided students in character interpretation, diction, and projection to ensure clarity of English delivery.
• Provided small-group coaching sessions for lead roles to refine pronunciation, stress patterns, and expressive intonation.
• Integrated reading aloud, script analysis, and lyric breakdown into daily rehearsals.

5. Stage Production Management

• Supervised set, costume, and prop integration to enhance storytelling while supporting literacy comprehension.
• Managed dress rehearsals to ensure both theatrical quality and educational fidelity.

Outcomes & Impact

Literacy Development

• Students demonstrated marked improvement in phonemic awareness, reading fluency, and expressive speaking, with teachers reporting increased classroom confidence in English use.
• Pre- and post-project literacy assessments indicated up to 25% faster decoding speeds and improved word recognition.

Teacher Professional Growth

• Local teachers adopted GPLRC’s performance-based phonics strategies in their own classrooms post-project.
• Established an ongoing professional network between Fangcaodi teachers and GPLRC literacy trainers.

Performance Achievement

• Final stage production presented to an audience of over 800 parents, educators, and guests, receiving critical praise for both artistic merit and clear English articulation by young performers.
• Students developed transferable skills in collaboration, time management, and public speaking.

Cross-Cultural Exchange

• Fostered enduring connections between Scottish Opera and Beijing’s educational community, laying the groundwork for future arts-literacy projects.

Participant Feedback

“The Warriors was not just a performance—it was a living classroom where students learned English through art, and art through English.”
— Fangcaodi English Teacher

“The fusion of phonics training with stagecraft gave our students the confidence to own the stage and the language.”
— GPLRC Founder

Legacy & Follow-Up

• Elements of the Warriors project model have since been adapted for other GPLRC-led literacy-theatre programmes in China.
• Sparked interest in expanding arts-integrated phonics training to more Beijing schools and beyond.
• Provided a showcase example of how synthetic phonics can be creatively embedded in real-life performance projects for lasting educational impact.